Daddy?
by avegadro
Summary: Carl hasn't been totally honest, but he hasn't exactly lied either. Nobody asked him, so he didn't bring it up! I rated this T because it'll get adult-y soon.


**-Authors note- So I'm new to publishing stories. If this totally sucks don't be afraid to tell me. I also abhor reading my own writing so please let me know of any grammatical errors. This is also something that immediately hopped around in my brain after I watched season four the other day, sorry that it's totally from left field.-**

**I own nothing...**

"Daddy." Whitney stood just inside of Carl's office door.

"Hi, sweetie. It's been a long time since you called me 'Dad'." Carl looked up from his desk, and his most recent case file. She pouted. "I know. I'm sorry." She moved to his leather couch and threw herself onto it and sighed.

"What's wrong, baby?" He stood from his desk and walked to his couch, sitting down next to her and pulling her onto his lap.

"Mommy called me this morning. She's coming to take me to lunch. Will you come with us?" She nuzzled her face into his chest, and listened to his strong heartbeat.

"Well, she's your mother, she can kind of do whatever she wants, whether you like it not. And I'd be delighted to join you two." Carl rocked side to side, slipping into the old habit of his whenever he had his daughter on his lap. He flashed to one of the last times they had sat like this. Whitney was around 12 and he and Whitney's mother were separating. She had been throwing a tantrum about not getting to have a sleepover with all of her friends that weekend. Carl had grabbed and held her on his lap, rocking her back and forth, calming her down. She cried onto his chest, and he cried into her thick curly hair. The past was so bittersweet.

"I'm sorry, sweet heart." Carl said aloud, not really expecting it.

"About what, daddy?"

"You never got to have that sleepover at the old house. I'm sorry your mother and I couldn't work things out for you." He drew in an unsteady breath. "But I love you."

"I love you too, daddy." They sat there for a while, memories flooding them as they reminisced.

"Oh! I'm sorry to interrupt!" Denny had walked into the office to talk to Carl, and thought he had stumbled upon something he shouldn't have. Whitney practically flew off of Carl's lap as he hastily stood up.

"Denny, it's not what you think." Carl started, Denny held up a hand to stop him. "Hey, who am I to judge?" He winked at Carl, turned around and walked down the hallway. Whitney looked at her father, obviously upset. "Carl! You're just going to let him think that? Ew!" Carl looked between his daughter and his office door, not sure what to do.

"Don't worry, honey, I'm going to set him straight right now." Carl stormed out of his office, after Denny.

Denny was laughing to himself and pouring himself a stiff glass of scotch when Carl banged on his doorframe.

"You don't need to knock, Carl. My office is open to anyone. Drink?" He held up his decanter as an offer. Carl couldn't help but roll his eyes

"What you saw back there is _not _what you think. She's-" Denny interrupted him, again. It was starting to annoy Carl.

"It's not my business. However, I am a little jealous. She told me I was too old, and here she is with you." Denny waved his hand at Carl to make his point. Carl had had enough. He slammed his hands on Denny's desk to make him shut up.

"Denny, she is my daughter! For God's sake, we were talking to each other!" Carl huffed after he finished and ran a hand over his face. Denny stood there in shock.

"My God, I am sorry. I had no idea." The two men stared at each other for a moment before Denny opened his mouth.

"So, your daughter? I didn't know you had any children." Denny took a sip of his scotch.

"Yeah, well, her mother and I didn't always see eye to eye and we divorced when Whit was 12." He stated regretfully. "We were just out of law school when Vicki found out she was pregnant. I got a job at a firm while she stayed home. We didn't have much money, but we were- we were happy." Carl said, smiling as he thought back all those years ago. Denny smiled at Carl.

"I think I was married once." Denny said, appearing to be in deep thought. Looks can be deceiving. Carl pictured a symphony of crickets in the man's head.

"Try 6 times, Denny. Anyway, Whitney's mother is coming by for a visit in a little while, so I'll be out of the office." Carl squinted his eyes at Denny as he started counting something on his hand. Carl just backed away slowly.

"Six? Really? Boy, do I get around…" Denny said to no one in particular.

"Okay, mom just called, she'll be here in half an hour. I better go get ready." Whitney rushed past Carl towards his office door.

"Why? You look fine?" Carl was confused, as usual when it came to his ex-wife and daughter. Whitney scoffed.

"Uh, yeah. I don't want to give her any reason to harass me." She had pulled a compact out of thin air, apparently, and was dabbing at her forehead. Carl just watched, not entirely sure what his place was to be telling his adult daughter what to do. She suddenly whirled around and was gone before his eyes. He shook his head and grinned to himself. She really was her mother's daughter.

Victoria Thompson briskly walked through the front doors of the glass skyscraper. She was here to see her baby girl and that man that she was married to. In truth, it made her heart beat a little faster to think about seeing him again. He was her first love, her first time, and father of her only child. Victoria Thompson was still in love with Carl Sack, even after 20 years of being divorced. But Ms. Thompson was here to see her daughter, Whiney Rome. Her baby made her so proud. Whitney had grown into beautiful, talented, and smart woman, with lousy taste in men. Whitney had married a no good, sorry excuse of a man when she graduated college and after they divorced she kept his no good, sorry excuse of a last name. Her daughter could frustrate her to no end, but when worse came to worse Whitney was still her own flesh and blood and nothing, but nothing, was ever going to change that. As she approached the elevator she scanned the list of businesses that occupied the various floors of the building. Finally she saw Crane, Poole & Schmidt and hopped on the elevator. The doors were just about closed when a briefcase stopped them dead.

**Who's it going to be? Bum, bum, buuum! Also, to know who I have in mind for Whitney's mother, IMDB Loretta Devine, she played a judge at least twice on the show. She's also one of my favorite actresses and I write a lot of stuff with her in mind.**


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